CopyCat McDonald's Big Mac - Made With Fresh Ingredients At Home!

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If you are craving the iconic fast food Big Mac burger there is no need to hop in the car! This homemade Big Mac recipe brings the real thing to your kitchen, complete with the famous secret sauce that makes McDonald’s Big Macs irresistible. So, skip the drive-thru and make these epic burgers with fresh ingredients at home.

Who loves McDonald’s? I am a sucker for their french fries, their burgers, and their chicken nuggets! This copycat McDonald’s Big Mac recipe will have you singing “Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!” You remember the jingle right? Now you can enjoy Micky D’s right in your own kitchen!

If you have been around for a while, you know how much I love sharing restaurant copycat recipes. This Big Mac has been on my website for almost a decade, and I have so many more where this came from! Copycat recipes are the best, being able to make something at home with fresh ingredients (that you can actually pronounce) is such a delight! I have an entire section of copycat recipes on my website full of them. 

Homemade Big Mac 

Transform your cooking with perfectly seasoned burger patties and a copycat Big Mac sauce that tastes just like McDonald’s Big Mac sauce. This isn’t just another burger, my friends. It’s a homemade version of fast food at home.

My Big Mac Story

I know McDonald’s gets a bad rap a lot of times, but I have to tell you, when I was pregnant with my twins, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese and French Fries?  That, my friends, was my meal of choice.  Nothing compared to that.  Now my twin babies are 22 and I am not ashamed to admit that I still hit the drive-thru for McDonald’s from time to time!

The Secret to Perfect Big Mac Sauce

Creating the most obvious copycat Big Mac sauce takes patience. I researched countless recipes, testing until I found the perfect creamy base. The key is letting ingredients sit together overnight in an airtight container to develop that tangy flavor.

Ingredients for Homemade Big Mac

For complete ingredients, scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card.

Remember, you are going to want to make the sauce a day ahead. You want to have it sit in the fridge to make sure all of those flavors get a chance to really mingle. 

Ingredients in Homemade Big Mac Sauce

• mayonnaise 
• French dressing – choose your favorite, they are all close in taste.
• sweet relish
• dill pickle juice 
• sugar – granulated sugar
• dried minced onion
• ketchup
• dash of salt

Big Mac Burger Ingredients:

• ground beef – Big Mac burgers are seasoned with salt and black pepper. 
• sesame seed buns – Remember, you will need one bun and one extra bottom bun for each burger.
• butter – to toast the buns. 
• American cheese – a slice of American cheese makes for the perfect melt and flavor.
• Iceberg lettuce – shredded
• dill pickles – sliced dill pickles for building the Big Mac Burger.
• white onion – diced finely.

How to Make a Copycat Big Mac

Prepare the sauce the day before.

Combine all of the ingredients cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Divide ground beef into 12 equal portions and form thin burger patties. Season with salt and pepper

Butter the sesame seed buns on the insides and toast them in a heavy skillet. Set them aside. (remember you are using 1 top bun and 2 bottom buns for each burger you make. )

Fry the patties in the skillet until they are your desired internal temperature.  ( Rare: 120-125 F, Medium-Rare: 130-135 F, Medium: 140-145 F, Medium-Well: 150-155 F, and Well-Done: 160-165 F) Melt one slice of cheese on top of each burger patty. 

Build your Big Macs: Spread the homemade sauce on the inside of each toasted bun. Top with diced onion, pickles, and lettuce. Place one patty on the bottom burger. Top with another dressed bottom bun, add another burger, then the top bun. 

​Enjoy!

Save any leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  

Use Big Mac sauce for making a Big Mac Salad (pictured above), as a dipping sauce for these Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs, Big Mac Sliders, Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole, or this yummy Big Mac Egg Roll Appetizer. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this DIY McDonald’s Big Mac make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long can I store Big Mac sauce? Up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Can I freeze homemade Big Macs? I would not recommend freezing anything other than the buns and the premade patties. 
• What’s the best way to get thin patties? Use a burger press or carefully flatten the patties by hand.

Tips & Tricks

• Always let the sauce refrigerate overnight at a minimum. 24 hours for maximum flavor.
• Use medium-high heat for perfect patties
• Drain excess grease for a cleaner burger
• Toast buns until golden brown

Best Fast Food Copycat Recipes 

Like I said before, I love a good copycat recipe. Here are some of my favorites: Copy Cat McDonald’s Filet ‘o Fish (pictured above), Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, Taco Bell Enchirito, KFC Chicken, and KFC Cole Slaw. Plus this awesome cold fighting Honey Citrus Mint Tea recipe from Starbucks, Wendy’s Original Taco Salad, Dairy Queen Buster Bars, California Pizza Kitchen’s Mac ‘n Cheese, and my Homemade Runzas! There is so much more too! Check all of my copycat recipes out here.

With this copycat Big Mac recipe, you’ll create a home-cooked meal that brings the best of fast food right to your table. No drive-thru needed!

LIKE THIS RECIPE? Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating andleave a comment below the recipe!

4.59 from 131 votes Print Recipe

Copycat McDonald’s Big Mac Recipe (+ Video)

No need to go to McDonald’s for a Big Mac when you can make this copycat recipe, using fresh ingredients from your own kitchen. So GOOD!! Prep Time10 minutes minsCook Time20 minutes minsTotal Time8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins Course: Restaurant Copy Cat RecipesCuisine: AmericanKeyword: Copycat McDonald’s Big Mac, homemade Big Mac, Homemade Big Mac Sauce, McDonald’s Copy Cat Recipe, Servings: 6 Big Macs Calories: 757kcal Author: Michaela Kenkel Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 Tablespoons French Dressing
• 1 heaping Tablespoon sweet relish
• 3 teaspoons dill pickle juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• dash of salt

For the Burgers:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef patty into 12 thin large patties
• Salt & Pepper
• 12 sesame seed hamburger buns 6 tops and 12 bottoms
• butter
• shredded lettuce
• dill pickles
• minced onion
• 12 American cheese slices

Instructions

• To make Sauce: combine all of the ingredients and cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
• In one skillet, salt and pepper the patties, fry the burgers until done. Top with American cheese slices, heating until melted.
• In another skillet, butter the insides of the buns and toast over medium-high heat. (like you would a grilled cheese) . Set aside.
• Put sauce on the buttered side of each bun, on the bottom one and the middle one put onions, pickles and lettuce. Top with a burger. Stack them together.
• Serve hot with a side of fries.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 757kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1421mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 441IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 580mg | Iron: 7mg

This recipe was originally posted on November 14, 2017. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on February 7, 2025.